HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION AGENDA
July 30^th, 2018

The July Work Session Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Upstairs Training Room

1. Call to order
   • Invocation – Anne Mitchell
   • Mayor’s Introductions of Guests and Announcements
   • Motion to Adopt Final Agenda as Distributed.

2. Old Business
   • Mayor’s Report
   • Serv-Line Claim #1 – $459.4192,362 gallons
   • Budget awaiting for Tax Digest – Friday (8-3) will be delivered
   • Municode Update 

3. Police Department Report 
4. New Business
   • Vernon Dixon – Energy Efficiencies 
   • Air-MedCare – Shane Headrick 
   • May Financials
   • Authorization to pay-off USDA 5% Loan 
   • Creation of new Bank Account for GEFA Loan
   • Ethics Committee Appointees 
   • Removal of Plastic Single Use Bags
   • Package Sales Guidelines 

5. Motion to Adjourn

HIAWASSEE WORK SESSION

Minutes July 30^th, 2018

The July Work Session Meeting was called to order on July 30^th, 2018 at 6:00 pm by Mayor Liz Ordiales.  The invocation was given by Anne Mitchell and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

In addition to the Mayor and Council Member Anne Mitchell, Council Members Kris Berrong, Amy Barrett, Nancy Noblet and Patsy Owens were in attendance.  Also present were Police Chief Paul Smith, City Attorney Thomas Mitchell and City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick.

Mayor Ordiales introduced Chris Hinson of EMI, our engineering firm, Shane Headrick of AirMedCare, Dr. Vernon Dixon and Bonnie Herman. 

Motion to adopt the final agenda as distributed was made by Anne Mitchell, seconded by Kris Berrong with all council in favor.

The Mayor’s report included information regarding the Cruiz-In drive in movie and block party, Music on the square, Plan First program (we are finalists and Mayor Liz will be presenting to the committee on August 28^th), our first franchise check has arrived from Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, the tax digest arrived Friday afternoon.

The first Serv-Line claim – customer bill was $459.41 (92,362 gallons).  Customer’s normal bill is $35.

The Tax Digest arrived Friday 7/27/18 late afternoon and Mayor Liz provided the council with copies.

Municode is approximately 4 – 6 weeks from completion. As soon as available it will be linked to our website.

Chief Paul Smith gave police department report.  There were 9 arrests in June, two of which were felony drug arrests.  Drug arrests are down.  Update on the first and only armed robbery case (last November), defendant plead guilty and received a 20 year sentence with 10 to serve.  

Vernon Dixon presented information for the council to consider a resolution for climate change which includes a carbon fee endorsement aimed at creating a national policy to tax where carbon is created and giving back to citizens.

Mayor Ordiales informed the Council that she will be getting information on solar panels.  Our major consumption is the Water Treatment Plant and the Sewer Plant.

Shane Headrick gave a presentation on the benefits of the City provided AirMedCare Insurance.

May Financials were presented by Mayor Ordiales.  At the end of May we had spent 76% of budget.

Towns County Water and Sewerage Authority has substantially agreed to the pay-off USDA 5% Loan.

Our GEFA loan requires a new bank account from which to debit the loan payments, so the Mayor will be asking for approval at the City Council Meeting next week.

Ethics Committee Appointees – the prior volunteers are still willing to serve.

Anne Mitchell would like the council to consider the prohibition of single use plastic bags. There was much discussion about the pros and cons and whether there is truly a benefit of plastic over paper or not. City Attorney Thomas Mitchell indicated that the City of Athens may be poised to do something similar, but that there had been legislation presented prohibiting municipalities from passing local legislation regarding prohibiting plastic bags, but it did not pass the House.

Mayor Ordiales spoke with the Council regarding package sales guidelines.  She would like the council to be thinking about what guidelines to put in place IF the package sales referendum gets to the ballot.  Suggestion was limiting the number of package stores based on number of residence or some other criteria.  The process is quite rigorous to get state approval to open a package store.  There is also the question of how to select who might be approved for a package store – would it be first-come, first-served?  

Motion to adjourn was made by Nancy Noblet, seconded by Anne Mitchell with all in favor. Meeting was adjourned at 7:28pm